1. Field of the Invention
Among other things, the present invention is related to a process for transforming unused motor vehicle headliner or headliner edges into a bonded composite that can be used in motor vehicles. Within the scope of the present process, unused motor headliner or headliner edges are ground or shredded and mixed with a binder to create a bondable mixture. The bondable mixture is exposed to heat causing the binder to melt. After the bondable mixture is allowed to cool, a rigid and solid bonded composite is created.
2. Description of the Previous Art
1) U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,513-Gebreselassie et al. enables a method of recycling trim components. Column 1 of the '513 patent reads, “The method of the invention comprises the steps of shredding the scrap material into fluff, forming a binder reagent from polyisocyanates or a mixture of polyisocyanates and polyols, combining the fluff with the binder reagent and water to form a pre-preg mixture, the pre-preg mixture is then formed into pre-preg sheets, the pre-preg sheets are then compression molded at elevated temperatures into a variety of trim panels for use in a vehicle. The invention also permits a decorative coverstock to be applied to the panel as the panel is being molded thus eliminating a further manufacturing step.” Among other things, Applicant's process does not teach the addition of the addition of water and polyisocynates required by the '513 patent. Gebreselassie does not utilize the first and second scrims as practiced by Applicant's product by process.
2) U.S. Pat. No. 6,110,580-Gebreselassie enables a method of recycling trim components for vehicles and is a division of U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,513. The '580 patent requires addition of water, polyisocynates and polyols. Among other things, Applicant's process does not teach the addition of the addition of water, polyisocynates and polyols required by the '580 patent. Gebreselassie does not utilize the first and second scrims as practiced by Applicant's product by process.
3) U.S. Pat. No. 6,576,176-Gebreselassie, et al. enables a method of recycling scrap material containing a thermoplastic. Column 3, line 59 through Column 4, line 6 read, “Optionally, during mixing, the fluff may be combined with a suitable binder to aid in providing a pre-preg mixture. The binder is capable of remaining in a pre-polymerized state for a reasonable time to allow for handling of the pre-preg sheet. Additionally, the binder is capable of curing under production compression molding cycles of 15 to 60 seconds at 100 to 250 degree Celsius with no post curing. Suitable binders include polyisocyanates, polyisocyanates mixed with polyols, and quasi-prepolymers or semi-prepolymers, which are products of isocyanates and polyols having an excess of free isocyanate. Particularly effective polyisocyanates include polymethylene-polyphenyl-polyisocyanate (PMDI); 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI); 2,4- and 2,6-toluene-diisocyanate (TDI); or naphthalene-diisocyanate (NDI).”
Among other things, Applicant's process does not teach the use of use of polyisocyanates, polyisocyanates mixed with polyols, and quasi-prepolymers or semi-prepolymers, which are products of isocyanates and polyols having an excess of free isocyanate binders. Applicant's process utilizes meltable synthetic fibers such as polyester, polyethylene and/or polypropylene combination as a binder.
4) U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,616-Ang enables a vehicle interior component formed from recyclable plastics material and the recycling of headliner. Columns 4 and 5 of the '616 patent read, “FIG. 7 diagrammatically illustrates the recycling of headliners 10 after completion of service life in a vehicle. In FIG. 7 automated material handling and cutting and grinding equipment 70 cuts or separates the headliner into particles. The particles are pumped or otherwise conveyed into the partially cleaning and separating station 72 which includes a series of cyclone separators 74 which separates foreign matter from the particles. Washed and separated particles of headliner material are then supplied to drying station 76 where they are dried using a suitable heat source. The particles of the headliner are then sent to station 80 for conversion by methanolysis into raw material 82 for fiber production that may be used for other headliner cores. The other suitable process particles of the headliner can also be sent to extruding, filtering and pelletizing equipment 78 and 84, which converts the particles into glass filled injectable moldable resins that are usable for other components or plastics articles.”
Unlike the Ang recycling process that breaks down used headliner into raw material that is used to produce fibers, Applicant's process does not break down headliner into raw material to produce fibers.
5) U.S. Pat. No. 5,976,295-Ang enables a method of molding a recyclable muli-layer component from plastics material and is a division of U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,616. The identical process for breaking down used headliner into raw material enabled in the '616 patent is also enabled in by the '295 patent.
6) U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,802-Beard, et al. enables vehicle panel material. Column 3 of the '802 patent reads, “In FIG. 5, recycled thermo-formable material, such as waste fibers from carpet manufacturing is employed. The fiber density can be from 1-10 denier and be made of polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon or PET. This material is employed as shown by block 40 and is shredded into strips of about 1½-2 in length depending on the material being recycled. This step is indicated by the shredding step of block 42 utilizing a commercially available shredding machine. At the same time, a supply of scrap or waste headliner material is employed as indicated by block 50 and is stretched and separated into strips by pairs of rollers having needle-like projections as indicated by the step of block 52. The somewhat similar size and shapes of the thermo-formable material and headliner material are mixed and carded in a carding machine and process as indicated by block 45 to form a mat, as indicated by block 46, of, in the preferred embodiment, a mixture of about 50% reground thermo-formable material and about 50% of reprocessed headliner material. The thermo-formable material serves as a binder for the glass fibers of the headliner material and the blend of thermo-formable material and headliner material can vary from about 40-60%, respectively, to about 60-40%, respectively.”
Among other things, Applicant's process does not utilize a thermosetting resin to bond the shredded headliner. Additionally, Applicant's novel and nonobvious binder comprises no more than 30% w/v of the finished product rather than 40-60% of the finished product as mandated by Beard.
7) U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,976-Satterfield, et al. enables a method of making a headliner. The Satterfield patent is silent regarding the transformation of preformed headliners into useable compositions.
8) U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,130-Deiringer enables a process for reclaiming thermally strained polyester scrap material. The '130 patent teaches that polyester waste materials are shredded, melted to form a molten material and that the molten material is filtered down to particle sizes from about 5 to 10 microns. Among other things, Applicant's process does not utilize this combination of steps or molten material that is filtered down to particle sizes of 5 to 10 microns.
9) U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,908-Kelman, et al. enables a recyclable automotive headliner and method of manufacture. Column 1 of the '908 patent reads, “This invention relates to an automotive headliner and, more particularly, to a recyclable headliner comprised of 100% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) material and its method of manufacture. The headliner of the present invention is made 100% from PET material capable of recycling by processes such as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,130. While the '130 patent describes a process for reclaiming scrap PET material it does not disclose or suggest a solution of how to provide a headliner of a 100% PET material that will have desired strength properties.”
The Kelman patent does not disclose any steps for recycling headliner other than those identified in the 5,225,130-Deiringer, and Deiringer appears to be limited to the process of shredding, purifying and sorting polyester scrap such that the scap is used to produce high quality polyethylene terephthalate.
10) U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,658-Byma, et al. enables a method for making a composite headliner. Byma does not disclose any steps for transforming preformed headliner into a useable composition.